For full information on PAWAC programs and their respective flyers, please go to Programs.

Events in the Community:

2010 World Fest at the Peoria Civic Center - September 11
Enjoy this annual celebration of ethnic and cultural experiences available in Central Illinois!  Click here to view the flyer, and be sure to stop by the World Affairs Council booth!

Explore both Lebanon's place in the world and the enormous contributions persons of Lebanese descent have made to our country.  During the three-day event attendees will have the opportunity to hear from, and interact with, cabinet ministers from Lebanon, the Lebanese Ambassador to the United States and the former United States Ambassador to Lebanon, as well as other experts on Lebanon and the politics and economy of the region.  But this event is more than a symposium on Lebanon's place in the world.

   It is also a celebration of Americans of Lebanese descent through music and food.  The Lebanese community in Peoria is an outstanding example of the many Lebanese communities through out the country that have contributed so much to the prosperity and quality of life of their neighbors.  To tie all of this together, we are fortunate to be able to draw upon the talent and knowledge of the first Presidential Cabinet-level appointee from Central Illinois, perhaps the best known person of Lebanese descent in the world, the United States Secretary of the Department of Transportation, Ray LaHood.
November 12-14, 2010
Itoo Hall (Friday), Hotel Pere Marquette (Saturday)
St. Sharbel Church and Hall (Sunday), Peoria

Register for the conference here.           Become a sponsor here.

The Itoo Society will host its 43th Annual Shish-Ka-Bob on Sunday, June 27 from noon to 7:00 pm at the Itoo Hall on Farmington Road.  The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 5.  Delicious food!!

The Joy Luck Club of Peoria presents Angelin Chang, the Grammy Award winning pianist, for a special performance on Sunday, January 24.  Please refer to the flyer here.

The Institute for Cultural Development will hold its next conference in Berlin.  Please refer to the flyer here for more details.

The University of Illinois at Chicago presents:
Future Measures: How to Calculate for a World Without Oil by Timothy Mitchell, Department of Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures at Columbia University.  The lecture is free and open to the public.  It will take place on Tuesday, January 26 at 3 pm at the Institute for the Humanities, Stevenson Hall, Lower Level, 710 S. Morgan.  For more information, please call (312) 996-6354.

The Jewish Federation of Peoria presents Professor Jonathon Adelman.  "The Iranian Nuclear Threat: Impact on the Entire Middle East, Europe and the US" will be presented on Wednesday, January 27 at 7:00 pm at the Cong. Anshai Emeth, 5614 N. University.  This event is free and open to the public.  For more information, please call (309) 689-0063.

The Center for Global Studies is pleased to announce a new online professional development course on teaching about genocide. "Genocide: Teaching and Pedagogy" offers 1 graduate credit hour/10 weeks/ Spring 2010.  Course rubrics: HIST 597
Feb 16 April 27, 2010
Register now by going to: www.outreach.uiuc.edu
Choose Registration:  Under Non-Degree Students, click on Register online for non-degree students; Create a login and password; Proceed through the pages and follow the steps; You are registering for HIST 597 AO (CRN 54014) Genocide: Teaching and Pedagogy; Instructor: Allison Witt; Course Dates: 2/16/09 4/27/09; Course cost: $354
If you have any questions or need assistance contact:
Erika Albin: ealbin@illinois.edu 217-333-3060 

Eureka College Renaissance Dinner, Friday and Saturday, December 4-5.  For ticket information, please call (309) 467-6407. 

June 4, 2009
The Global Food Crisis with Dr. Robert Bolla, Provost at Bradley University, will look at the impacts of climate change, genetically modified foods, and agricultural subsidies as they affect the world's food supply.  This program will follow the business meeting.  Bring a sack dinner and join us for the meeting at 5:30 pm and the Great Decsions Discussion of the Global Food Crisis at 7:00 pm.  We'll meet at the American Red Cross at 311 W. John Gwynn Avenue in downtown Peoria.  This event is free and open to the public.  Great Decsions briefing books are still available for $20.  For the full agenda, please click on the flyer!

Educators Workshop Opportunities

Turkey Study Tour for Teachers 6 - 12  Co-sponsored by the Turkish Cultural Foundation and the World Affairs Councils of America, this outstanding opportunity for teachers in Central Illinois (grades 6-12) will include a study tour in Turkey, July 27 - August 7, 2009.  Applications are due to PAWAC by April 15.

2009 Turkish Study Tour Application

2009 Turkey Reading List

2009 Turkey Study Tours

Other outstanding summer programs for Teachers:

2009 Middle East Summer Workshop

2009 Islam at the Edges